Drawer-locking mechanism.



E. OHNSTRAND. DRAWER LOOKING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 9, 1912.

Patented Jan. 12, 1915.

2 SHIBETSSHEET 1.

E. OHNSTRAND.

DRAWER LOOKING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 9, 1912.

Patented Jan. 12, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STAfIlIESi ra'rEN'r OFFICE.

ENOCH OHNSTBAND, OE sYEAcUsE, NEw YORK, AssmNon TO U. s. STEEL FURNITURECOMPANY, OF sYEAcUsE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OE NEW YORK.

nn-AwEn-LooKING, MECHANISM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ENOCH OHNSTRAND, of Syracuse, in thecounty ofOnondaga and State of New York, have invented a new object thereof is toprovide a simple and inexpensive construction which will effectivelylook a series of drawers while permitting the individual closing of anyone drawer after the controlling drawer or other member has beenactuated.

To this and other ends the invention consists in certain parts andcombinations of parts all of which will be hereinafter described, thenovel features being pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a sectional view through a desk having aseries of drawers which are partly open, the locking member being shownin-unlocking position; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the drawersclosed-and the locking member in looking position; Fig. 3 is an enlargedsection on the line aa Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a front view o the lockingmember showing the position it occupies on one of the rear supports ofthe drawer suspension; Fig. 5 is a rear view of the same parts; Fig. 6is a sectional View on the line b-?) Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a top View of theparts shown in Fig. 4; and Fig. 8 is a section on the line cc, Fig. 6.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention 1 indicates the desk, 2the drawer guides and 3 the vertical rear supports for the guidesconnected at their upper and lower ends by horizontal pieces 4. Thedrawer guides are preferably each formed from a sheet metal strip with aU-shaped portion serving to cooperate with the bottom and the top of twoproximate drawers 5.

The locking mechanism in the illustrated form embodies a locking bar ormember 6 slidably'connected to the rear face of one of the rear supports3 by means of bolt and slot connections 7. Arranged on this lockingmember are one or more locking devices comprising preferably forwardlyextending portions 8 each having a beveled under face 9 and a shoulder10 at the rear end of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jen. s, 1915.

Application filed November 9, 1912. Serial No. 730,412.

7 beveled under face. These projections are so arranged that theinclined face 9 of each of said projections is adapted, when one of thedrawers 5 is bein closed, to be engaged by, the upper edge of thereal-wall of said drawer in order to lift the locking member 6 so that,when the drawer reaches its innermost position, its rear wall will liebehind the shoulder 10 and the drawer be held against further openinguntil the locking member 6 is shifted-upwardly.

Operating means for said locking member may comprise a movable member inthe form of a pivoted arm 11 made from sheet metal into channel form andpivoted, preferably, at its forward end below the guiding surface 12 ofthe: guide 2 of the upper drawer and above the guiding surface '13 whichcooperates with the top of the next drawer, the U-shaped portion of theguide serving to house the forward end of this pivoted member 11. p

From its pivot 12 the member 11 extendsrearwardly and upwardly at aslight angle, so that it projects above the plane of the surface 12 inrear of the latter, in order that it may be engaged by the rear end ofthe uppermost drawer 5, when the latter is shoved to its real-mostposition. Normally the operating member '11 is held in its uppermostposition by a spring 14 anchored at one end to the rear end of themember 11 and at the other end to the horizontal member 4 of the drawersuspension. Between its ends, the member 11 cooperates with the lockingbar 6, the latter for this purpose having an opening 15 therein throughwhich the operating member 11 extends, the top of the opening forming ashoulder or abutment which is engaged by the operating member to liftthe locking member 6, when the operating mom her is freed by theuppermost drawer '5 and the operating member has been shifted by theuppermost drawer. Instead of using the upper drawer, any other suitablecontrolling member may be employed for shifting the operating member 11,but I have found that the drawer forms the best controlling-ele- 7 theirrearmost positions.

ment.

The operation of the invention will be understood from the foregoing butit may be summarized as follows: The uppermost drawer 5 is moved'rearwardly, engaging the upper face of the pivotedmember 11, depressingthe latter to the position shown in Fig. 2 and permitting the lockingmember 6 to lower or drop by 'gravity so that the looking devices onsaid bar may cooperate with the other drawers of the series. Hall ofthese drawers are not closed before the looking member 6 lowers, thenthey may be closed to cooperate with the locking member, by moving themrearwardly so that they engage the inclined faces 9, causing theelevation of the locking member to permit the shoulders 10. todrop infront of the rear walls of the drawers after the latter-reach What Iclaim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a plurality of drawers, a drawer lockingmechanism comprising a lever mounted to turn about a horizontal axis andextending rearwardly from its pivot and at an angle to the line ofmovement, of one of the drawers so as to lie in the path of movement ofsuch drawer, and a locking bar moved to locking position by theengagement of the lever by such drawer and being movable relatively tosaid lever to permit the other drawers to close after the firstnameddrawer has closed.

2. In combination with a plurality, of drawers, a drawer lockingmechanism comprising a common locking member movable to lockingpositionunder the action of gravpath of the the path of one ofthe drawers of theseries and having a lost-motion connection with the locking memberpermitting the latter to move from locking position independently of theoperating member, and a spring for moving said operating member to causethe latter to move the locking member from looking position.

4. A drawer locking mechanism compris ing a plurality of drawers, alocking member movable under the action of gravity to look some of .saiddrawers, an operating member pivoted beneath the path of travel of oneof said drawers and having a portion projecting'into vthe path of travelof said drawer, said operating member having a lost-motion connectionwith the locking member permitting. the latter to move from lookingposition independently of the operating member, and a spring acting onthe operating member to hold it normally in the drawer which cooperatesthere- With.

5. In combination, a plurality of drawers, a drawer guide having twoportions, one cooperating with the bottom of the uppermost drawer, andthe other cooperating with vthe top of the next drawer, a rear supportfor said drawer guide, a locking member slidably mounted on said rearsupport and having locking devices for cooperating with some of saiddrawers, a shoulder on said locking member, an operating member havingits forward end pivoted between the two portions of said guide, the rearend of said operating member extending upwardly into the path of theuppermost drawer and beneath the shoulder on the locking member, and aspring acting on the operating member to hold the rear end thereofnormally in the path of the uppermost drawer with the locking member inunlocking position.

I ENOCH OHNSTRAND. Vitnesses EDGAR HAMILTON, Gnome W. Coornn.

